What To Do In Kyoto – A 3 Day Kyoto Itinerary

by Maria Last updated on July 2, 2017 34 comments

Kyoto is THE place to head to experience the historic and ancient Japan. Kyoto is Japans cultural capital, and have all the things that the Land of the Rising Sun is all about: 400 colorful Shinto shrines, 1600 ancient Buddhist temples, and stunning Japanese gardens. That Kyoto is home to incredible 17 Unesco World Heritage Sites really says it all!

But Kyoto is not only about old cultural sites and buildings, it also has cool shops, great restaurants, mountains and nature, and geisha dance performances. You will never run out of things to do in Kyoto! Kyoto has it all and should be on everyone’s bucket list. No trip to Japan is complete without a visit to Kyoto.

How To Get Around Kyoto

Kyoto has an extensive network of buses and trains. There are, however, few JR lines in Kyoto, so if you have bought a JR Rail Pass, and plan to stay several days in Kyoto, you might want to wait to activate it until the day you leave Kyoto. You can activate the JR Rail Pass at the main JR ticket office in Kyoto Station.

Kyoto Station is the transportation hub in Kyoto for all buses, subways, and trains

The best way to get around Kyoto is with a Kyoto pass. You can choose between different types of Kyoto passes (which are all bought at Kyoto Station):

Kyoto City Bus Only, All-Day Pass – 500 Yen for adult and 250 Yen for a child. This pass gives you unlimited use on the same day on all buses inside Kyoto city. Not valid for zones outside of Kyoto city, so it is not valid for Arashiyama (Bamboo Grove) or Fushimi Inari.

Kyoto Sightseeing Bus and Subway, One or Two-day Pass Card – One-day card: 1200 Yen for adult, 600 Yen for a child. Two-day card: 2000 Yen for adult, 1000 Yen for a child. Unlimited use on all buses and subways for one or two days.

Surutto Kansai Miyako Card – You charged it with 1000 Yen, 200 Yen, 3000 Yen or 5000 Yen, and use it on city buses and subway lines, as well as Hankyu Line, Keihan Line, and other participating private companies. You pay per trip until the card is empty.

Traffica Kyoto Card – You charged it with 1000 Yen or 3000 Yen and it is valid on all city subways and buses. You pay per trip.

The 3 Day Kyoto Itinerary – What To Do in Kyoto

Day 1 – Temples and Shrines in the Higashiyama Area

The Higashiyama area of Kyoto is where all the action is in regards to temples and shrines. This is the main sightseeing area of Kyoto and is packed full with colorful temples, shrines, museums, parks and Zen gardens.

The Higashiyama area is divided in two; The Southern and The Northern part. You can easily spend an entire day exploring these two areas and their magnificent temples.

Opening hours: Most temples 09:00 – 16:30/ 17:00

Ticket price: You have to buy a ticket at each temple, around 300-500 Yen = 3-4 USD per temple for an adult

1. Southern Part of Higashiyama Area

Start with the Southern Higashiyama, this is the most popular area and contains the most famous sights. The walking tour we have outlined below is easily walked in less than an hour, but you will, of course, want to stop to explore the temples along the way.

If you want to shorten it, you can choose some of the temples and shrines and skip the rest. To start, take the Tozai Line to Higashiyama Station.

Higashiyama Station – from the station walk up Sanjo-dori street.

Shoren-in Temple – This is one of the biggest temples in this area and used to be the residence of the chief abbot of one of the biggest Buddhism schools in Japan.

Chion-in Temple – A grand temple, dating back to 1234, where one of the most famous figures in Japanese Buddhism taught and later starved himself to death. It is the most popular pilgrimage temple in Kyoto.

Cion-in Temple

Step into the Maruyama-koen park, and take a look at the Gion shidare zakura, Kyoto`s most famous cherry tree.

Maruyama Park

Kyotos most famous cherry blossom tree, Gion shidare zakura, which sadly was not blooming when we visitedGion Shidarezakura Tree

In the park, head west to see the grand and colorful Yasaka-jinja Shrine.

Walk past the Otani cemetery and on to Kodai-ji Temple, founded by a woman to honor her late husband. The temple is surrounded by a really nice garden and tea house designed by a famous Japanese landscape architect.

Kodai-ji Temple

From Kodai-ji Temple, walk west down the long flight of stairs past the parking lot, and into Ishibei-koji street, the most beautiful street in Kyoto. Going for a stroll here feels like stepping back in time to when samurais and geishas dominated the streets of Kyoto.

Ishibei-koji streetSannen_Zaka_Street

Ishibei-koji streetSannen-zaka_Street

Continue back towards the parking lot at Kodai-ji, but turn right onto Ninen-zaka street and Sannen-zaka street lined with beautiful old traditional wooden houses. If your stomach is starting to rumble at this point, step into one of the many cozy cafes and teahouses in this area and have a well-earned break.

At the end of Sannen-zaka street, take a left and continue onto Kiyomizu-michi street and follow it uphill till you reach the famous Kiyomizu-dera Temple. The hall has a huge verandah with stunning views of the hillside and Kyoto city.

Kiyomizu-dera Temple with great view of Kyoto city

The Nio-Mon Gate of Kiyomizu-dera temple

Below the temple is a waterfall where you can drink sacred water for good health.

Drink the sacred water at Kiyomizu-dera Temple and you will have good health

You can also test your success in love by closing your eyes and walk 18 meters between two love stones. If you walk past the love stone, you will not find love.

Love_Stone

Love_Stone_Kiyomizu-dera Temple

The entrance to Tainai-meguri, a symbolic womb of a female bodhisattva

Just next to the entrance to Kiyomizu-dera Temple is Tainai-meguri, a symbolic womb of a female bodhisattva.

Enter its pitch darkness, spin the rock and make a wish.

2. Northern Part of Higashiyama Area

If you still have some energy left, you can spend the afternoon exploring the Northern Higashiyama. If you have more than three days in Kyoto, consider splitting the temple sightseeing over two days and save Northern Higashiyama for the next day.

To start on the Northern Higashiyama tour take the Tozai Line to Keage Station, or Kyoto City Bus no. 5 to Eikando-michi stop.

Keage Station – walk for five minutes downhill and turn right and walk a little uphill.

Nanzen-ji Temple – Maybe the absolute finest temple in Kyoto. It is surrounded by a big park and consists of several sub-temples. At the entrance is the huge Sanmon gate. Step up to the second level, and you will have an amazing view of Kyoto city. The temple has a beautiful classic Zen garden, Leaping Tiger Garden.

Nanzen-ji Temple

Follow the Path of Philosophy/ Tetsugaku-no-Michi street, a pedestrian path that goes beside a canal, beautifully lined with cherry trees and flowers. It got its name from the 20th-century philosopher Nishida Kitaro who used to wander this street lost in thoughts. It takes about 30 minutes to walk this path.

Along the Path of Philosophy is the famous temple Honen-in, dating back to 1680. It is beautifully set back in the woods and is very peaceful.

Head over to the Ginkaku-ji Temple, following the walkway through the garden containing cones of white sand that symbolize mountains, tall pines and a small lake in front of the temple.

Day 2 – Golden Pavilion & Bamboo Forest in Arashiyama Area

1. Golden Pavilion at the Kinkaku-ji Temple

Early in the morning, head to the Northwest of Kyoto and the Kinkaku-ji Temple. This is where the famous Golden Pavilion is “floating” on a small lake in the middle of a beautiful garden.

Golden Pavilion Kyoto

The building dates back to 1397 and was once the retirement villa for a famous Japanse Shogun. His son later converted the house into a temple.

Selfie Golden Pavilion Kyoto

Ema Golden Pavilion Kyoto

The temple, however, sadly was burnt down in 1950 by a young monk obsessed with the temple.

The temple was then reconstructed in 1955 and is today one of Kyoto´s most popular sights. By getting here early in the morning, you might beat the crowds, but don`t expect to be alone…..

Expect to spend about an hour exploring the temple and its garden.

How to get there: Kyoto City Bus 205 from Kyoto Station to Kinkakuji-michi Stop, or Kyoto City Bus 59 from Sanjo-Keihan to the Kinkakuji-mae Stop, or take a taxi to Kinkaku-ji Temple.

2. Tenryu-ji Temple, Arashiyama Bamboo Grove & Okochi Sanso Villa

From Kinkaku-ji Temple, take a taxi to Tenryu-ji Temple in Arashiyama, which is the easiest option, or see the “How to get there” section below for public transport.

Enter and explore the Tenryu-ji Temple which was built in 1339.

Tenryu-ji Temple

History says that this temple was built on the former site of an Emperor`s villa because a priest had dreamt that a dragon was rising from the nearby river, which meant that the Emperor`s soul was at unease. So they built the temple to ease his soul, thereby it`s name which means “Heavenly Dragon”.

The temple building you see here today was built in 1900 and is surrounded by a stunning 14th-century Zen garden.

The beautiful Zen garden at Tenryu-ji Temple

From the Tenryu-ji Temple, you can easily enter the Bamboo Grove by its north entrance.

Start at the north gate of Tenryu-ji Temple, and walk all the way through the Bamboo forest up to the Okochi Sanso Villa, which is the home of the famous samurai actor Okochi Denjiro. The walk takes about half an hour at a slow pace. The garden surrounding the villa is beautiful and open to the public, although the entrance ticket (1000 Yen = 9 USD) is a bit expensive, but you get tea and cake included in the price.

If you’re feeling a bit hungry, there are several eateries on the main strip. Grab a bowl of noodles.

How to get there: From the Golden Pavilion (early in the morning), head back to Kyoto Station by bus 205 from the Kinkakuji-michi Stop. Take Kyoto City Bus 28 from Kyoto Station to ArashiyamaTenryuji-mae Stop, or take the Hankyu Line to Arashiyama Station. Or just take a taxi from Kinkaku-ji Temple to Tenryu-ji Temple like we did.

3. Arashiyama Monkey Park Iwatayama

Walk over the Togetsu-kyo Bridge, and climb up the steps near the orange torii of Ichitani-jinja.

The climb up the hill to where the monkeys are is a bit steep, and expect to be a bit sweaty, especially if it is a hot day, as you reach the top, but it`s totally worth it!

Over 200 Japanese monkeys live in this park, of all sizes and ages. And what`s cool about this monkey park is that the monkeys run around free and all the human visitors are in cages! Love it! 🙂

You also get a great panoramic view of Kyoto from the park.

How to get there: From the Bamboo Grove, walk over the Togetsu-kyo Bridge, and up the steps near the orange torii of Ichitani-jinja. If you are in downtown Kyoto, take Kyoto City Bus number 28 from Kyoto Station to Arashiyama-Tenryuji-mae Bus Stop.

2. Kyoto International Manga Museum

From Nishiki Market, walk over to the Kyoto International Manga Museum (takes about 15 min).

The Kyoto International Manga Museum is huge, and contains over 300 000 (!) Japanese comic books or manga.

People reading manga at Manga MuseumKyoto_Manga_Museum

There are over 300 manga cartoons at the MuseumManga_At_Kyoto_International_Manga_Museum

This is the perfect place to learn about this Japanese art form that is a huge part of Japanse culture, and to see how the art of manga has changed over the years. There is also a section of manga translated into other languages like English.

Manga cartoons from all over the world at the Manga Museum

You can even learn how to draw manga and have your portrait drawn by a manga artist. We did this, and this is how it turned out, pretty cool if you ask me:

Us as manga. Aren`t we cute?! 😉

How to get there: Take the Karasuma or Tozai Line to Karasuma-Oike Station. It is just a short walk from Karasuma-Oike Station to the Manga Museum (4 min)

3. Fushimi Inari Shrine

The amazing Fushimi Inari Shrine

Fushimi Inari Shrine is a stunning and atmospherical shrine that consists of thousands of red torii gates lined up as a pathway 4 km up the mountain. It’s best visited in the afternoon when the light renders the gates at their most beautiful and the temperature is a bit cooler. Walk as far up as your energy permits, and head back down.

Hundreds of Torii gates leads up to the small mountain at Fushimi Inari Shrine

The Fushimi Inari Shrine was first built as early as the 8th century by the Hata family to worship the gods of rice and sake.

The is one path going up and one path going down

A fox who is the messenger of Inari, the god of rice and business

Along the pathway through the red gates, you will also see plenty of stone foxes which is considered to be the messenger of Inari – the god of rice and business. The key in their mounts is the key to the granaries.

How to get there: From Manga Museum, walk to Karasuma-Oike Station (3 min) and take the Karasuma Line to Tokyo Station and then change to the Nara Line to Inari Station. This takes about 20 min. Or take the Tozai Line from Sanjo Station to Keihan Line to Fushimi Inari Station. This takes about 20 min. You can also walk to Sanjo Station, which takes about 20 min walking.

Opening hours: Dawn to Dusk for the shops, although it never really closes

4. Geisha spotting in the Gion neighborhood

At dusk, head back to downtown Kyoto for dinner, and go for an evening stroll through Kyoto’s geisha district Gion. Maybe you are lucky and get to see a real geisha?!

The Gion neighborhood is Kyotos most famous Geisha district

Beautiful old buildings in Gion

Don`t miss the Shimbashi street in Gion, which is a beautiful street in the evening (start at the intersection between Shijo-dori and Hanami-koji, and walk north, take the third left).

Shimbashi street in Gion

There are a lot of options for dining in Gion. From upscale restaurants serving traditional Kyoto cuisine to weird and wonderful restaurants such as the Issen Yoshoku Restaurant, that serves Issen Yoshoku which is a sort of the Japanese specialty Okonomiyaki (pancakes) filled with all sorts of yummy stuff like spring onion, egg, dried shrimp, beef, and ginger. Delicious!

The restaurant is unique, pay attention to the interiors and decorations on the walls.

Funny decorations at the Issen Yoshoku Restaurant

This crazy scene welcomes you at the entrance of Issen Yoshoku Restaurant

Okonomiyaki in the making

You might even be so lucky that you get to dine with one of the five Kimono girls that sit at some of the tables. The girls are mannequins and made of plastic! 🙂

You also get to see how they make the Issen Yoshokus (or Okonomiyaki) as the kitchen is an open space.

The End

These are our highlights of Kyoto, packed into three pretty intense days. We hope you find this article helpful when deciding what to do in Kyoto. Feel free to pick and choose from what interests you most.

If you have more than three days in this beautiful city, you can either take things a little slower by spreading this itinerary out across more days or add some more activities. Some of the highlights that we could not fit into three-day day Kyoto itinerary are:

Kyoto Imperial Palace Park – Located in Central Kyoto the Imperial Palace and especially the garden surrounding it are a lovely place to relax and have a picnic. It’s very popular during Cherry Blossom season.

Nijo-jo Castle – An impressive castle from the Edo period that shows off the power and influence of the Shogun Warlords.

Shopping in Shijo – Along Shijo-dori there are modern shopping malls that can rival Tokyo. The two largest are Takashimaya and Daimaru department stores.

Ponto Cho – A traditional nightlife area and Geisha district. Ponto Cho has many old wooden buildings that are lit by Japanese lanterns in the evening making it a lovely place to go for a drink and an evening walk.

Toei Kyoto Studio Park – A combination of theme park and working television/ film studio. Here you can dress up as Samurais and wander around a replica Edo period Samurai town where many movies and tv series have been shot. It’s all a bit crazy but a lot of fun too.

The Kyoto Station is also well worth a visit for its famous modern architecture made of steel-and-glass, it’s hundreds of shops and varied selection of restaurants. The station has many levels, make sure to go up to the 15th floor where there is an observation deck with a nice view of Kyoto.

Kyoto Station is also a huge shopping mall with shops and restaurants

Or you can explore other areas of Kyoto, like the Kurama and Kibune area where you can go and see the famous Kurama-dera Buddhist temple, established as early as 770! It is beautifully located just below the peak of Kurama-yama, and you will have a nice walk up a small hill through a forest to get to the entrance of the temple (or you can take the tram to the top). You can also relax at the nearby hot spring Kurama Onsen, which has an indoor bath and a sauna.

Day Trips From Kyoto

There are several day trip options close to Kyoto.

Nara (1 hour by train) used to be Japans capital back in the 8th century. Nara is famous for deer roaming the streets and is packed with beautiful ancient temples and shrines. The most famous is Tōdai-ji Temple with the 15-meter tall bronze Daibutsu (Great Buddha) as it`s highlight.

The grand and beautiful Tōdai-ji Temple in Nara

Osaka (1 hour by train) is also a popular place to visit, with the 16th-century Osaka Castle as it`s highlight. Osaka also has a great nightlife and delicious street food.

Another option is the coastal city Ise (3 hours by train), which is famous for Ise Jingu – a massive Shinto shrine. The city also has more than 100 other temples and shrines.

Where To Stay In Kyoto

1. We stayed at Century Hotel KyotoWe highly recommend this hotel, as it was awesome!! The best hotel we stayed at throughout our Japan trip! Big beautiful rooms, huge comfortable bed, great service from the staff and excellent location just next to Kyoto Train Station (100 m). You will love this hotel!Click for latest prices

Hotel Mystays Kyoto ShijoWe stayed at Hotel Mystays in Tokyo and loved it! Hotel Mystays is a business hotel chain. The rooms are not the biggest but have everything you need and more (even slippers!). The location of Mystays Kyoto is perfect, close to Maruyama park and many shrines, and very close to a subway station (300 m) and bus stops. There is a good selection of restaurants nearby and there is a supermarket next to the hotel. It is a quiet hotel, and all rooms have good wifi. There is a laundry room with washing machines and dryer and a coffee machine in the lobby that you can use for free.Click for latest prices

Karasuma Kyoto HotelA nice budget hotel centrally located with plenty of eating places within a short walk. It is within walking distance to the Gion area and to Nishiki market. Reasonably sized rooms (big for Japan) and have a small fridge and coffee/tea maker. The breakfast is delicious. The bathroom is fully equipped with all necessary toiletries.There is a Starbucks next to the hotel, and the hotel is close to a big supermarket, many restaurants, as well as bus stops and a subway station (2 stops from Kyoto Station). Take subway Karasuma Line to Shijo Station (exit 6).Click for latest prices

Travel Guides

We used the Lonely Planet`s Japan travel guide on our trip. You can get that and other great books by clicking on the pictures below:

Have you been to Kyoto? Have we missed something in this itinerary? What did you like the most about Kyoto? Please leave a comment in the comment area below. If you like this article and find it useful, please share on social media. Thanks! 🙂

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Maria is a Norwegian travel nerd, who has explored more than thirty countries on four continents. She holds a masters degree in Computer Science, as well as an MBA. See our about page for more about Maria.

34 Comments

Wow! Just Amazing. Kyoto is very interesting place to spend such a good time. Beautiful Pictures and valuable detailed information is shared by you. After this read, definitely plan for Koyto to enjoy my vacation.

I would say that Day 1 of this Kyoto itinerary is perfect for a first-time visitor to Kyoto. The Higashiyama area is the main sightseeing area of Kyoto.

Yes, Day 1 (Southern and Northern Higashiyama) is a walking route. By doing this walk, you will see the highlight of Kyoto temples and shrines. You can for instance only do the Southern part of Higashiyama and skip the Northern part if you see that you don`t have time to do both areas.

The train ride from Osaka to Kyoto is about 1,5 hour each way. Most temples have opening hours from 09:00 to 16:30/ 17:00. You should get there early in the morning when there are lesser people. From Kyoto Station, take the Tozai Line to Higashiyama Station (Southern Higashiyama) and start your walk from there.

Thank you so much! Eh, you are absolutely right. I had a hard time organizing all the photos we took (with two different cameras) and finding out the names of all the shrines and temples we visited and photographed. I really struggled. Thanks for noticing and letting me know. I will, of course, move the photo and change the caption.

I had a look at your webpage, by the way, and absolutely LOVE your photos!!! OMG, they are amazing! We will definitely buy your “The Photographer`s Guide to Kyoto”. Wish we knew about it before our trip to Kyoto. I`m sure our photos would have been better 🙂 Do you do photo tours of Kyoto, too, or? If so, we would love to join you on a photo tour some day.

Hi Maria, Thank you for sending your Kyoto 3 day Guide super, You have woken me up, had not given our Japan coming Holiday any attention. Just fully recovered from our 7 week tour of New Zealand ( Our 6th visit) I think we have now covered all the sights now? Phew ha ha. Yes read your Kyoto and will be doing most of the places mentioned, You sure know how to wet our appetite ha ha. I have been notified a small change in my flight times, SO………. change it a bit and got 1 extra day ( Yippee ) So advice please we have 2 extra nights ( had booked Osaka for the last night) we want to see Osaka Castle. But also want to visit Nara. So do I book a extra night Kyoto? in the Hotel MYSTAYS, or book 2 nights in Osaka.? Just to remind you of our previous comments. Yes I have use your 2 week Itinerary. Tokyo, Masumoto, ( Alpine Route ) Kanazawa, Kyoto , fly out Osaka, Re buying Train pass before we arrive Japan, How do they work? Can I use 1 day, then leave for 2-3 days? then use 1 day , Miss a day then use again ? So this way I only need a 7 day rail Pass? Most interested in your Reply. Best Regards and Thanks again for the good Information. Barry

Since you got two extra nights, you can either have one extra night in Kyoto, and do a day-trip to Nara (1 hour train ride from Kyoto), back to Kyoto for the night, and then go to Osaka for your last night. Or you can have that extra night in Osaka (2 nights in Osaka) and do a day-trip to Nara (1 hour train ride from Osaka). Hmmm, I think I would choose to stay two nights in Osaka and do a day-trip to Nara from Osaka. Since you fly out of Osaka. It seems more convenient. But having an extra night in Kyoto is also doable, no problem.

Regarding the Japan Railway Pass: The days start running once you activate your train pass. So if you stay put in one place/ city for several days without using the pass, these days will still be “used” and taken off your pass. So you would need a 14 day Railway Pass if you plan to travel around Japan for 14 days (including the days where you don`t do any train rides), I`m afraid. The railway pass is only valid for 7, 14 or 21 days in a row, depending on which one you buy, from one fix date to another.

With this Japan Railway Pass you can also do seat reservations for free, which is very convenient.

The Railway Pass will still save you a lot of money, even though there are days where you will not actually use it and do any train rides. But make sure to only activate it when you leave Tokyo, as you will not need it in Tokyo, as only a few metro lines take this Railway Pass.

Ah, lucky you who have just been to New Zealand for 7 weeks, wooooow!!! I really hope to get to New Zealand one day, it would be a dream come true. Seems like an amazing country, they say it looks a bit like my home country Norway nature-wise at least. 🙂

Hi Maria! Came across your blog while searching for itineraries for Kyoto. Great post and thanks for sharing the tips! Since you’ve been to Kyoto, and I only have 2 days there, what do you think of this itinerary: Thanks!

Thank you so much! The itinerary you have linked to looks great! It is a bit packed, but it is doable. Hmmm, I would have skipped the Kyoto Tower as I don`t think it is that impressive (not nearly as cool as Tokyo Skytree). Also, I would have dropped the Kyoto National Museum, as you will see plenty of old ancient art treasures in the temples and shrines in Kyoto. But I am not that into museums I must admit. 🙂

Hi Maria! My friends and I used your itinerary for Kanazawa last year and it was a blast! 🙂 Using your kyoto itinerary for a guide again! Because last time, we spent too much time at the markets and shops (We were lured by the snacks!). Thank you for such excellent posts! You are a life saver!!! 🙂 More power to you and your blog!

Nice post, we spent 5 weeks using Kyoto as a base and there are so many temples you risk getting temple burnout… Actually, one of our favorite daytrips was Nara. Might actually have been our favorite place in Japan.

Thank you! Cool, we really love Kyoto too! We also went to Nara, just haven`t written a post about it yet. I think we were suffering from a bit of “temple burnout” when we reached Nara as our final destination in Japan, but loved the deer in Nara! They ate our map, hehe 🙂

I really like your blog and i’m planning to follow your kyoto itinerary. How long did it take you to do the northern and Southern Higashiyama walk? I’m thinking of doing both walk on the same day or just the southern part if there’s not enough time.

Thanks! Glad to hear that our Kyoto itinerary could be of inspiration to your Kyoto trip! We did both the northern and southern Higashiyama walk in one day, from early morning until it got dark. You can start with the southern and see how it goes. If you have the time and energy, you can do the northern in the afternoon.

Hey Maria! Very detailed! Enjoyed reading it as it took me back to my trip to Kyoto last year. Absolutely my top 5 favorite destinations I’ve ever been to – something about the vibe of this city that is so magical. I wanna go back!

PS … I also have the same pic of the statue of the dog and the boy at the Issen Yoshoku restaurant! Mick

Thank you for this article and the tips that you gave us! I’ll be in Tokyo between 28th December – 10th of January and I plan to visit Kyoto and maybe another cities. I have to visit them after the 4th of January, because most of the attractions are closed. In Tokyo I will be with some friends, but when visiting another cities, I will be by my own. I am a little bit scared as it is my first ever solo trip. Is is safe for a woman to travel by herself in these cities? Is it a bad idea to visit Kyoto only in one day?

Thank you so much! Glad that our articles could be of help to you when planning your Japan trip!

I would say that Japan is one of the safest places on earth to travel solo as a woman. Japan has a very low crime rate and the Japanese people are extremely polite and respectful, so you will be totally safe travelling alone. You should not worry at all!

Hmmm, as there are lots to see and do in Kyoto, one day is a little short but of course better than 0 days. 🙂

Have a great trip to Japan and enjoy the New Year celebration in Tokyo! I`m sure it will be awesome! 🙂